O'Loughlin, who claims to be an avid fan of American TV, correctly belts out a line from the 'Brady Bunch' theme, but fails at 'The Golden Girls.' And, when he can't recall the theme to 'Cheers,' the audience groans, then starts to sing the song for him. "I just wanted to hear the audience sing," O'Loughlin said sheepishly.

"It is true. I think that a lot of actors are private people. I think a lot of actors really, you know, don't live the life that the rest of the world thinks we would live," O'Loughlin said, adding that he "might have to move to Hawaii' in order to deal with his increasing fame.

Aloha, Martha Logan! Kooky former '24' First Lady Jean Smart is staying in the political game, but this time, she'll be the governor of Hawaii.

Smart, who received two Emmy nominations for her role as the wife of plotting President Charles Logan on seasons 5 and 6 of '24,' has signed on to play the completely ethical Hawaii Governor Pat Jameson in CBS' 'Hawaii Five-O' remake.

The 'Hawaii Five-O' pilot just got a bit more interesting. Tough guy actor Scott Caan has been cast as Danno, joining Alex O'Loughlin as Steve McGarrett. What makes it interesting is that in the original series, McGarrett was the older member of the squad, the leader based on experience if not seniority. Danny Williams was a younger guy, with McGarrett as sort of his mentor.

O'Loughlin and Caan are the same age. That would mean that they'll be more like partners. Like Sam and Callen on 'NCIS: Los Angeles,' which is reminiscent of 'Starsky and Hutch.'

Well, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not exactly the original, is it? It's a new version of 'Hawaii Five-O' and, apparently, that's the point. Like the updated 'Star Trek' movie, which coincidentally, was written by the same guys, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who are doing the pilot.

So while this show will focus on an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police with McGarrett and Danno, it's not the same old CBS franchise.

There's something very satisfying when speculation and inside word turns out to be right on the money. That's the case with the casting for CBS's 'Hawaii Five-0.' Hollywood Reporter confirms that the man who will lead the detectives for this new CBS version 'Hawaii Five-0' is going to be Alex O'Loughlin.

Do you hear that sound? That's millions of 'Moonlight' fans exploding with joy that their favorite star has gotten the Steve McGarrett role. They're giddy with excitement because Alex is a star who as been searching for just the right role, just the right project, just the right hit that would keep him on the air. 'Hawaii Five-0' has a really good chance to succeed. Make that extremely good.

No, they're not making Steve McGarrett, the lead detective. Kim has been cast as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, the second or third guy, depending on the episode. In the original series, Kam Fong played the role, and James MacArthur as Dano was perceived more of the second guy on the team. But in today's more diverse era, Kim may have a more prominent role than Fong did.

Alex O'Loughlin may not be off the airwaves for long. The actor, last seen on the recently canceled medical drama 'Three Rivers,' is reportedly being considered for a role on the upcoming CBS remake of 'Hawaii Five-O.' Insiders claim that "talks are ongoing" and that the network "really wants to do another series with him." Last week, CBS officially greenlit the series (more on that here). [Ausiello Files]

It was a long, long, lonnnng first official TCA day yesterday, with CBS, Showtime, and the CW trotting out their newest and finest in front of the critics, followed by the epic Survivor anniversary party Bob mentioned the other day. I'll spill out some highlights later on. But I wanted to quickly start with CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler's very confident executive session.

Why was she so confident? Shows that are often winning their time periods helps. But she also seems to be in a "told ya so" mood about NBC and its Leno / Conan mess. In her opening remarks, for instance, she mentioned how good the freshman slate of shows was doing on every network... except NBC. During the Q&A, she said that the other networks "fared very well during this experimental phase for NBC."

This is the first step to cancellation and anyone who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke. Despite a big star in the center, Three Rivers is an earnest medical drama that's just not catching on with viewers. CBS will complete the 13-episode order and then kiss the show bye-bye.

A little over a year ago, CBS was all a flutter with thoughts of a new Hawaii Five-O. Jane wrote about it and even allowed herself to get geeked about a new Jack Lord and company. Well, that incarnation by Criminal Minds executive producer Ed Bernero failed to make it into production. I guess it didn't have enough "Book 'em, Danno's" -- or maybe it had too many. Whatever the reason, that version died and a new one has been ordered. CBS now has a new plan for an updated Hawaii Five-O.

Generally speaking, CBS had a strong 2008, developing one bona fide hit drama -- The Mentalist -- even though shows like The Ex-List never found an audience or a critical plaudit. Ironically, I liked The Ex-List based on the screener I reviewed last summer, so go figure. Sometimes a preview can inform you about a show's potential and sometimes it's just the best it'll ever be.

CBS has shared previews for the new season and we've had a chance to take a look. There are star vehicles for Jenna Elfman, Alex O'Loughlin and Julianna Margulies, which would seem logical based on the success of Simon Baker as The Mentalist. CBS is counting on familiar, popular TV stars to win over audiences. Will the strategy work? It's probably too soon to tell.

The networks are in the process of recasting some of their new shows before the fall season starts. Some of the shows getting new cast members include ABC's The Forgotten, CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles, and Three Rivers, also from CBS.

Don't worry Alex O'Loughlin fans. Three Rivers' hunky vamp turned transplant surgeon isn't going anywhere. But his lead co-star, Julia Ormond, has been shown the door. CBS has yet to announce who will replace Ormond on the show. If they're smart, the network will try to nab O'Loughlin's former Moonlight co-star, Sophia Myles, to replace Ormond.

Our coverage of Moonlight and our recent interview with O'Loughlin taught us a few things: There are tons of Moonlight fans out there. They love O'Loughlin, and they'll watch anything he does. O'Loughlin fans also love Sophia Myles. They couldn't get enough of Mick and Beth's season-long love story on Moonlight.

All three of these shows are one-hour dramas, so that means the rumors about Without A Trace, Cold Case and The Unit all being on the bubble were true. Cold Case had a strong finish with a two-parter that performed very well in the ratings, so it could be safe, but the other two are likely to be ending their runs.

Moonlight is history, but Alex O'Loughlin is still in demand. The actor, who garnered a huge fan base playing Moonlight's good guy vampire Mick St. John, returns to TV this week. O'Loughlin will guest star as a conflicted serial killer on CBS's Criminal Minds on Wednesday.

For O'Loughlin fans, the guest appearance is only a tease. What they really want to see is their favorite Aussie actor starring in a new weekly series. They might get their wish if CBS picks up Three Rivers, a drama pilot starring O'Loughlin as an organ transplant surgeon.

I got a chance to speak with O'Loughlin this week. We chatted about his new projects, his love for the vampire genre, and how Mick St. John could totally kick Kate Beckinsale's ass. Click through for the conversation, plus preview images and video from the actor's appearance on Criminal Minds.